Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pupcakes

Surprise your favorite pup with a homemade dog treat—Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pupcakes! These mini cupcakes, made especially for dogs, are full of pumpkin puree, peanut butter, apple and rolled oats. Super simple to make, this pupcake recipe is sure to become your pup’s new favorite treat! Makes 16 mini pupcakes.

Love baking for your pup? Milkbone Apple Pupcakes and Sweet Potato and Apple Pupcakes are more homemade dog treats your pup might enjoy.

A black and white dog licks a homemade dog cupcake

Could we just take a second to talk about how hard it is to photograph a pupcake when your dog—who knows a pupcake recipe was made especially for her—is stalking your every move?

Because this photoshoot was maybe the shortest one I’ve ever done… and it was all because that Lucy dog couldn’t hold her horses.

As I was photographing the completed pupcakes, my child was monitoring the dog.

You’ll never guess who overpowered whom and what happened next…

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    In the span of about 10 seconds between when she broke away from Lady A and hustled over to the marble slab, where Lucy ate SEVEN pupcakes.

    While I love to make our Lucy homemade treats (because I’m that dog mama), I don’t get the opportunity to do it often.

    So yeah, waiting for a treat made especially for you is hard… and you might even pretend you don’t understand the word, “Wait,” even though it was explicitly used in your training courses years ago and daily when you’re told to sit and wait for your breakfast.

    Please enjoy chuckling over these images, because I know I have and will continue to do so.

    Also, while there are no images of her speckled palate, let’s all take a moment to marvel over the fact that this little blog here? Was named after Lucy.

    Learn more about my Lucy: For the pupSunday Snippets: The Pup-iversary EditionFAQs

    Close up of pumpkin pupcake recipe on a marble slab with a dog sniffing them in the background

    Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pupcake Essentials

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    You’ll also need the following ingredients, which you may or may not have at home, depending on how you stock your pantry.

    • Pumpkin puree—not the sweetened pumpkin pie filling
    • An apple—any type will do!
    • An egg
    • Unsweetened peanut butter—unsweetened is key because a lot of sweeteners used in nut butters is apparently not-so-good for pups
    • Unflavored oil—any type will do, though I’ve specified canola oil in the recipe below
    • Rolled oats—whatever you’ve got on hand works, though we use a gluten free rolled oat in ours!
    A black and white border collie sits next to a marble tray holding homemade dog treats

    How to Make this Pupcake recipe

    Preheat your oven, and spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick baking spray. Set it aside.

    In a blender or food processor, combine the cored apple, pumpkin puree, peanut butter, oil, egg and water. Blend ’em together until smooth, and don’t worry about overprocessing this. We don’t want it chunky.

    Using a plastic spatula, fold the rolled oats into the batter.

    Carefully dollop the thick pupcake batter into the prepared muffin tins using a cookie scoop or a spoon. Round off the tops of the muffins because they will not rise in the oven.

    Bake in the preheated oven until the pupcakes have browned and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

    Let the pupcakes cool, then add additional peanut butter as “frosting.” Sprinkle on a few rolled oats, and let your pup enjoy!

    A black and white dog bites into a small homemade dog cupcake sitting on a marble tray with two others next to it

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I use a different nut butter in this recipe?

    I think another nut butter would work well, though I haven’t tried it. I would just caution you to read the label to ensure that whatever you used is unsweetened.

    Is this pupcake recipe healthy for my dog?

    I am not a veterinarian, so I advise you to check with yours to confirm this recipe is A-OK for your pup, especially if your dog has food sensitivities.

    Overhead of homemade pupcake recipe, frosted with extra peanut butter, on a marble slab with oats sprinkled around them

    Quick Tips and Tricks for the Best Homemade Pupcakes

    • No pumpkin puree? Use unsweetened applesauce or sweet potato puree instead!
    • Store in a food-safe storage container in the refrigerator. These pupcakes are so moist that they will begin to mold pretty quickly if left at room temperature.
    • Monitor your pup as they dig in. These are bite sized, but if your dog is anything like mine, they’ll try to gulp it down without chewing. We don’t want anyone to choke on their pupcakes!
    Overhead of homemade pupcake recipe, frosted with extra peanut butter, on a marble slab with oats sprinkled around them
    Yield: 16 mini pupcakes

    Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pupcakes

    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes

    Surprise your favorite pup with a seasonal dog treat—these delightful Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pupcakes! These mini cupcakes, made especially for dogs, are full of pumpkin puree, peanut butter, tart apple and rolled oats. Blend until smooth in a mixer, then carefully pour into a mini muffin tin to bake. Once cooled, frost with whipped peanut butter! Super simple to make, these pupcakes are sure to become your pup's new favorite treat!

    Ingredients

    • 1 apple
    • 2/3 cup pumpkin puree, (not pumpkin pie filling)
    • 3 tablespoons unsweetened peanut butter, plus additional for the “frosting”
    • 1 tablespoon canola oil
    • 1 egg
    • ¼ cup water
    • ½ cup rolled oats

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick baking spray, and set aside. 
    2. In a blender or food processor base, combine the apple, pumpkin puree, peanut butter, canola oil, egg and water.
    3. Blend until smooth.
    4. Using a plastic spatula, fold in the rolled oats.
    5. Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, carefully dollop the thick pupcake batter into the prepared muffin tins. Using the spoon or scoop, round the tops of the muffins, as they will not rise in the oven.
    6. Transfer the muffin tin to the preheated oven.
    7. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the pupcakes are brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
    8. Let cool to room temperature, then add additional peanut butter as “frosting.” Sprinkle on a few rolled oats, and let your pup enjoy!

    Notes

    These pupcakes are very moist and need to be kept in the refrigerator or they will mold within a few days of being out.

    Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    16

    Serving Size:

    1 mini pupcake

    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 60Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 21mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g

    Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.

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    Do you have a dog?

    If so, do you like to bake special treats for your pup?

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    About the Author:

    Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her

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    One Comment

    1. My pups LOVE these. I ended up only using half the apple and baking them a little longer to make them a bit more firm, but they were still delicious to the pups. They beg for them!

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